University of Adelaide celebrates outstanding leaders

A trio of esteemed leaders in health and economics will be recognised for their contributions during the University of Adelaide’s graduation ceremonies, which begin today, Monday 5 May.

Ms Carolyn Hewson AO, Professor John McNeil AO, and Ms Danielle Wood will receive Honorary Doctorates, the highest recognition the University can bestow, during graduation ceremonies held across the next two weeks.

In that time, more than 4000 students will be conferred in 16 ceremonies in the historic Bonython Hall.

“Graduation ceremonies represent the culmination of our students’ hard work and talent, and our staff’s contribution to their learning. They also represent future prosperity and success for our graduates, and for our community,” said Professor Peter Høj AC, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Adelaide.

“All three recipients of Honorary Doctorates are graduates of our University and have gone on to have exceptional careers, contributing to industry and society.

“They have served our nation with distinction, and we applaud them.”

Ms Hewson has more than 40 years’ experience serving at the highest level on boards of major corporations, companies, governments and not-for-profits.

She graduated with Honours in economics from the University of Adelaide in 1981, and completed her masters degree at Cambridge.

Ms Hewson is currently a Director of the Reserve Bank of Australia and non-executive Director of CSL Limited, holding other positions with companies including BHP, Infrastructure SA, Westpac and SA Water over the years.

A former investment banker with substantial experience in the sector, Ms Hewson has shared that knowledge with not-for-profits including YWCA Australia, Girl Guides Australia, Breast Cancer Research Foundation and the Royal Humane Society, helping develop their strategies and directions for good.

Ms Hewson has a strong involvement with the Adelaide Football Club, holding the position of number one ticketholder from 2018 to 2024 and became the first female Patron of the club last year.

She has been a high-profile champion of gender diversity at the highest levels of business and government and has played a significant part in Australian society as a strong female role model, creating future pathways and opportunities for women in business and in not-for-profit roles in Australia for the generations to come.

Professor McNeil graduated from the University of Adelaide in 1971, with his contributions to medical research changing the way we think about chronic disease, preventive health, and healthcare quality.

After completing his early medical training at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Professor McNeil moved to Melbourne to further his study before receiving a National Heart Foundation overseas fellowship to study epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

In 1986, Professor McNeil became Head of the Monash University Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at the Alfred Medical Research Precinct. The department grew to more than 1000 staff and postgraduate students under his tenure.

During this time, Professor McNeil established a national leadership role in a range of clinical and public health research areas including community-based trials, clinical quality registries, occupational and environmental health and emergency care research.

This work included the initiation and co-leading of the Australian-US ASPREE trial of low-dose aspirin in the elderly, one of the largest prevention trials conducted internationally which found that daily treatment with low-dose aspirin, which was then commonly recommended to millions of elderly people world-wide, provided no benefit to those without pre-existing heart disease or episodes of strokes.

The current Chair of the Productivity Commission, Ms Wood has contributed to economic policy discussions in Australia for more than two decades.

Studying a Bachelor of Economics at the University of Adelaide, Ms Wood has used her keen analytical skills to make a difference in the world through policy reforms.

Between 2020 and 2023, Ms Wood was the CEO of the Grattan Institute and played a key role in formulating economic policy and making recommendations for the nation’s future during the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ms Wood is also a fierce champion for women in economics, as co-founder and first National Chair of the Women in Economics Network, helping establish an annual mentoring retreat, school outreach program and supports for women economists to appear in the media.

She is the first woman to become President of the Economic Society of Australia, a role where she has focused on promoting economics as a profession.

For her contributions to economic policy Ms Wood was named by the Australian Financial Review as overall winner and winner of the government, education and not-for-profit category, in the 2024 Women in Leadership Awards.

All of the University of Adelaide’s graduation ceremonies can be viewed online via livestream: https://www.adelaide.edu.au/live/